Animal feed and method for making



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Reissuecl Dec. 25, 1956 the material exits from the apertures in theplate, steam is evolved in large quantities. After water evaporates24,261 from the mixture, the mixture is rapidly cooled and to- ANI FEEDA M D F R MAKING gether with supplementary cooling is rapidly lowered toTHE SAME 5 a temperature below the charring point and the extrustanley AMartin Deerfidd Beach Fla sion step is then repeated until the moisturecontent is reduced to the desired level, preferably below about 5% NoDrawing. Original No. 2,707,151, dated April 26, by Weight. It has beenfound that in the present process 1955, Serial No. 423,523, April 15,1954. Application of pressure extruding, the pressures at the foraminous"issue 'y 1956, serial 567,433 plate are in the neighborhood of 250pounds per square inch and that the temperatures attained within themix- 9 Chums 99-6) ture are normally above 300 degrees F. and that noMatter enclosed in heavy brackets II] appears in the charring ordeleterious effects occur if the time which original Patent but forms110 P Of this l'eiSSlle lf f the mixture remains at such elevatedtemperatures is cation; matter P in italics indicates the addmons keptbelow about fifteen seconds. These conditions may made by reissue berepeatedly duplicated on the same material without encountering harmfulcharring. Additionally, it has been found that due to the extremepressures and tem- The present invention relates to a process fordehydratperatures which exist at the extrusion plate, there is a ingmolasses and for simultaneously forming a high reaction occurring at theinterface between the apertures molasses concentration animal feed andto the product of the extrusion plate and the material which is beingproduced thereby. forced therethrough such that the resulting extrudedpellet It has been long recognized that the dehydration of has aslightly different color at its surface than that of black-strapmolasses or other aqueous molasses bythe center of the pellet. Theresulting pellets have a products from the refining of cane, beet andcorn sugars greater resistance to the absorption of water from the isaccompanied by certain inherent difficulties. Among atmosphere than anyheretofore known dried molasses the more important of these difiicultiesis the deterioramaterials. The reason for this increased resistance totion of the molasses by charring when the temperature water absorptionis not definitely known, but it is be- Of the molasses is raised to thePoint which is n ry lieved that the extra hard and smooth surface filmwhich to evaporate water. The customary method of overexists on theperiphery of the pellets is responsible for coming this difiiculty hasbeen to employ vacuum techthis characteristic, and it is thought thatthe surface film niques and specifically to dehydrate in batches underreresults from polymerization of the resins present in the ducedpressure. For volume production, batch operamolasses.

tions are uneconomical and when attempts are made to The process of thisinvention is broadly applicable to continuously dehydrate under vacuumconditions, many all of the known types of industrial molasses includingproblems are encountered in maintaining the vacuum as cane blackstrapmolasses, refiners blackstrap molasses, the water is removed, and as themolasses is fed in and high test molasses, beet molasses, hydrol andcitrus moremoved from the processing equipment. The primary lasses.Where animal feed is the ultimate objective, object of the presentinvention is to provide a process cane blackstrap molasses is preferred.As these molasses for dehydrating molasses which overcomes the problemsare normally obtained from the sugar processing indusheretoforeencountered and which is simple, eflicient and tries they normallyinclude 15% to 30% water. In order inexpensive in operation. to developthe required pressures in extruding the mo- Another object of thisinvention is to provide a conlasses through a foraminous plate, themolasses is first tinuous process for dehydrating molasses and forproducadmixed with a filler material to form a slurry or stiff inganimal feed therefrom which eliminates the necessity mass. for usingvacuum techniques. A wide variety of filler materials may be employed Afurther object of this invention is to provide a for this purpose andthe filler selected will depend upon process for making high molassessugar content animal the product which is desired. When it is desired toform feeds is dry, nonhygroscopic, pellet form, in which form a puredehydrated molasses product, the filler may consist the animal feed isstorage stable, readily handleable and of cane or beet sugar dependingupon the source of the inexpensively transportable. molasses beingemployed. When the product is to be A still further object of thisinvention is the provision used as an animal feed suitable fillers maycomprise of a pure dehydrated molasses product in pellet form groundgrain mill screenings, sugar beet pulp, sugar beet and a high molassessugar content animal feed in nonseeds, peanut hulls, cottonseed hulls,alfalfa, citrus pulp,

hygroscopic pellet form. ground corn cobs or mixture thereof. It will beap- Other objects and advantageous features of the inparent that theproportion of filler which must be admixed vention will become apparentupon considering the with the molasses starting material willnecessarily vary present disclosure in its entirety. with the moisturecontent of that molasses since the The present invention is based on thediscovery that greatest pressures during extrusion result from theforcit is possible to greatly exceed the temperature at which ing ofthick viscous solids through the extrusion plate. molasses normallychars or caramelizes and to attain While the proportion of filler solidsis not critical to the such temperatures that the moisture content ofmolasses invention, suitable proportions have been found to be isflashed off as steam if the temperature is maintained about 20-65%filler and 80%35% molasses. When the at such high levels for onlyrelatively short periods of molasses content exceeds about 80% of themixture, it time, that is, seconds rather than minutes. In accordisdifficult toobtain sufficient pressure during the extruance with theprocess of this invention, blackstrap mosion to attain the necessarytemperatures to flash the lasses or its equivalent is admixed with afiller material steam from the mixture. Similarly when the proportionand in mixed form is pressure extruded through a foramof filler exceedsabout 65%, the pressures developed in inous plate. The pressuredeveloped in the extrusion the extrusion approach a maximum that can behandled of the mixture is suflicient to raise the temperature in the andthe efiiciencyof the process decreases due to the remixture well abovethe boiling point of water and in a quirement for handling a highproportion of solids relrange between about 225 F. and 350 F. such thatas ative to the moisture which is removed.

"In employing theprocess'of this invention for producditions for athirty day period and at the end of this time ingpure-dry-molasses-solids, the process maybe started a thewpellets-were-foundtohbefistillain..dry. non=tackyc form. with cane sugar solids and,thereafter th fill m y be a The pellets were admixed with conventionalcattle feed recycled portion of the molasses solids which are obandfound to be readily acceptable by cattle. 'tai ned' fromtheextrusion-stepsl A's above'-indicated, it 5 What is claimed is:isuSuaIIy necessary-to subjectthe r'ni'x'ed' masses and 1. A process fordehydrating molasses which comprises filler to aseriesof'extrusibnstepsg the nrirhberof-steps the steps of mixingmolasses'with a filler to form a mixde'p ndij in thezfqioi tu -ewntsnnor -'-the original ture, raising-the-.temperatureofsaid-mixture so,asrto subr'riolasses and thedesird degree of dryness 'ef the finalstantially avoid charring of-said molasses to between product. As-a"typical example,jithas been' found pos- 10 225 F.-.,and .350" F. forlessthan about15 seconds sible to reduce theamo'unt' of-moisture in amixture of therebyfiashiug steam therefrom, r pi ly Cooling Said"molasses a'fid grain-millscreeningsfrom 29%" by-weight mixture to-atemperatureabelow 140 F. ,andfrepeating t'ol%by weight inthree'ext'ru'sion steps. said steps until the moisture content-is belowabout 5% From both'the standpoint ofeconomical operation and by weight.l he quality of newest-11amproduct, it is-"preferred that 15 2. Aprocess for dehydrating molasses which comprises the time'f during whichthe material remains at'temperathesteps of mixing molasses with afiller, rapidly extruding 't'ures above"the; charring'point of"molassesbe-restricted themixture through aforaminous plateunder pressure tc'ithe'shortest possible time. This time periodis easily suchthatthetemperatureyinf the mixture increasesrfrom vcontrolled by -controlling'the speed of passage of the below the charring point to atemperature,sufiic tly mixture through-"the extrusion apparatus and by -the high toflash off steam at the exit side of said plate, said Coolingt'ec'hniqbesemployed -on the materiableaving-the high temperature being maintainedfor a relatively short extrusion plate. While the-maintenance of themixed period of time, cooling the extruded mixture, and repeatrnola'ssesmaterial at temperatures well above the normal ingthe extrusion stepuntilthe moisture content in the "char'ring point for periods of up toabout '15 seconds is extruded'mixture'is belowabout-5 y Weight "notharmful, it is preferred 'that the time be-kept in the 3. SA processforforminganimal'feed which comprises neighborhoodof 5 to 8 seconds, thenormal charring the steps of mixing molasses with an edible filler'inthe point of molasses being about 140'F. "proportionsof35%80%-molassesand 20%65 %*filler,

' The memos-and "product of this-invention is illus- :raisingthetemperature ofsaid mixture so as to substantratedin greater detail in'the-exam'ple given below. iiauy' avoid chafring'of Said1110135565'tobetwefili'igly EXAMPLE --F. 'and 0 for less than about15-"seconds"-thereby -flashing steam therefrom,rapidly-coolingsaid--mixture-to Cane blackstrap molasses having' a water"cont'entof a temperature below 1'40'-F. and'r epeating-said steps-until1-9% byweight was admixed with wheat-mill screenings -the'moisturecontent isbelow about --5%'-byweight.

having a watercontent of 10% in the ratio of68-% mo- 45A processfor-forming animal feed which comprises lasses and 32% screenings. Themolasses-was prelimi- 35 the steps of mixing molasseswith-anediblefiller-in-the 'na'rily heated to approximately 100 degrees F. andthe proportions-M85% 80%'-molasses and -20%65'%fi ller,

mixing was accomplishedin a paddle type mixer turning"rapidlyextruding-the mixture through a forarninous at-the' speed ofabout 1200 -R.=P.-M. The-admixed maplate under pressure: sucn-thatthetemperature in the "teria'l was then moved to the first extrude-r. 1'his extruder mixtureincreases froni below the charring point"to-"beadvanced the material from one end-to 'the 'other in 40 tweenabout 225--F. and 350-F. -and-steam is-flashed approximately 'fiveseconds during which time the-temtherefrom at theexit-sideof saidplate-said temperature perature was raised from about 100' degrees F: upto being maintainedfor a relatively'short periodoftime, about 320degrees F.,- measured at a'point'adjacent to rapidly coolingthe'extruded mixture-to a temperatur the inside surface of the-forarninous plate. "Theforamb below 140 F. and'repeating theex-trusionstep-until 'th nous plate was merely aflatsteel plate approximately-1V2-moisture content-in the-extruded mixture is below 'abou inches thickand 7 inches in diameter-havingGOO three- 5% by weight. sixteenth inchdiameter holes positioned therein. 1 As the 5. A process as claimed-'inclaim 4 in which'the sai material exits from the extrusion-plate, cloudsofsteam "filler-is grain mill screening. escape and cool dry air isforceably blown on the escap- 6.- A processfor forming; puredry-molasses-whic ---ii1g material-over a 30 secondintervalpriortothe'feedcomprises the steps of mixing cane-blackstrapmolasse ing oftheextrudedmaterial into the su'cceedingextruder. with cane sugar in theproportions of -35%80%-molasse The material was then passedthrougha-second extruder, and 20%65% canesugar, rapidly extruding the-mix comparable in every respect to 'thefirst'extruder and tare-througha foraminous plate under pressure -suc thereafter through a thirdextruder in' similarmanner. "that thetemperature in themixture increases'from-belo The pellets emanating '-fr'om"th'e' extrusionplateof the thecharring point to between -22-5-F-.-and 356 Fr-f0 thirdextruder,"after'co'oling, 'were extremely hard-='and less than about-lflseconds thereby'iiashing'steamfro found 'to be coated with a"'smooth,-l1ard skinwhichwas the said mixture, rapidly cooling the said mixture me te"slightly darker 'ii-ncolor '-than"the central portion of the peraturebelow 14(i- '-F. and repeating'said steps until th pellet. The watercontent'of the pellets was l-percent. moisture content is less than3%-=by weight.

Incommercial productionthe' extrusion step-is repeated 7. Pure drymolasses-particles having a hard'no until the moisture content or 'theextruded -pelletized hygroscopic film on theouter surface thereof,'said' pa product is below about 5% byweight. In general; it is ticlesbeing the product of the process 1of-claim- 1. preferred thatthemoisture content be reducediwell below 8. A high molasses content animalfeed-consisting, 5% and in the range of .5%3%. 'It is to -=be under-"dehydrated molasses and a filler-selectedfromthe'gro stood'thatconventional drying'techniques-to remove the consisting-of grainmill'screenings, beet' pulp, 'beetqse'e last tracesof water may beemployed-in conjunction with citrus pulp, peanut-hulls, cottonseed -hulls, alfalfa'a1 the extrusion steps if desiredy'although such dryingtech- 'ground'cormcobs and having a total sugar content --b niquesha've'not been found to-be necessary in orderto tween-35-% to 40%, saidfeedbeing in -the-form" reduce the moisture content oftheextrudedproductto particles having ahardperipheralskinwhich'is resista between.8%'-l.5%.T"'-In using conventional drying to theabsorptionof water; said'feed beingthe-"producttehii fililes,-care"should 'be' taken toavoidwaiug'Whe the'process of claim 4. w temperatureabove ithe normalchairing-temperature=of -A--pj'ocess for' dehydrat-ing --mol 1sses which"c0 -:-mo1asses." i i K "-pris'esthe-st'eps of m'ixipg'molass'es withafiller'fofor The"pellets 'were*tested for resistance-te moistureab:*hzixturprQhirrg the -tempera ture-vfuaidfimixture osoi'ption bysubjeeang tnisa r mInsist atmospherieconto substantially qyoidcharringwf"said molasses "to tween 225 F. and 350 F. for less than about15 seconds References Cited t he file of this patent thereby flashingsteam therefrom, rapidly cooling said the enema! Patent mixture to atemperature below 140 F. and repeating said UNITED STATES PATENTS if?untti the moisture content IS reduced to the desired 5 1,184,228 CarterMay 23, I916 1,286,742 ORourke Dec. 3, 1918 1,638,964 Schreiber Aug. 16,1927 1,877,266 Chapin et a1. Sept. 13, 1932 2,124,950 Knapheide et a1.July 26, 1938 10 2,744,824 Lent May 8, 1956

